There are two important reasons for wearing a respirator: to prevent impurities or contaminants from entering the wearer's breathing track; and to protect others from being exposed to pathogenic microbes and other contaminants exhaled by the wearer. When wearing a respirator for either of these reasons, occasions frequently arise which require the wearer to temporarily displace the body of the respirator from their face. For instance, the wearer may temporarily leave a contaminated area for a short time, or the wearer may wish to briefly speak to another person. When the respirator body is temporarily displaced from the wearer's face, it is desirable to keep the respirator body readily accessible so that it can be quickly retrieved and returned to its position over the wearer's nose and mouth. Otherwise, it becomes more likely that the person would not consistently wear the respirator in the work place, creating unsafe conditions for the wearer or others who may be exposed to contaminants exhaled by the wearer.